Drugs

As the rest of the world wastes billions on an unending War on Drugs (in a recession no less), Holland decided drug use is more a health problem than a criminal issue. Instead of locking up hundreds of thousands of non violent people, the Dutch decided to turn a blind eye to coffee shops, where small amounts of marijuana could be sold. The idea was to separate smokers from criminals who deal harder drugs. What do you know? It works!

Coffee Shops
In the 90s, Amsterdam went even farther. The mayor led a campaign to close down troublesome coffee shops and officially allow the rest.

In 1996, the first coffee shop license was given out. Respectable coffee shop owners cheered this approach and welcomed the stability and security of being legitimate, even if it meant paying more taxes. In the middle of the licensing debate, newspaper Het Parool asked the then mayor how much a gram of marijuana costs in his city. In other countries the mayor might not know the price of a bag of weed, but in Holland, the man shaping the drug policy knows the facts.

Still for all its successes, coffee shops have come under renewed attack. In addition to grief from America and the E.U. In the previous Dutch government, coalition partner Christian Union wanted to close coffee shops that are within 500 meters of a middle school. This would have closed down most coffee shops in Amsterdam without solving an actual problem.

Coffee shops today are pretty serious about not selling to kids under 18 since they can be closed
down by the city for basically any reason. Do you think scummy guys on scooters in school yards will be checking IDs?

In other backwards news, the few bars that sold weed were forced to choose between beer or buds (most chose the latter) and now weed sales stop on the weekend at 1am instead of 3am. Phew. Finally the terror has ended.

But then again, maybe the anti-coffee shop idiots are right. Maybe we should criminalize drugs more and finally wipe them out altogether, just like in America and other European countries.

How does it work?
In Amsterdam, and most of the country, you can go into any coffee shop, proudly march up to the bartender, and announce in a loud voice: “I want to buy some weed, and then I’m going to smoke it.” Most places will
have rolling papers and filter tips on the bar. The filter tip doesn’t filter anything, but gives you something to hold on to, and there’s no wasted roach.

Ask to see the menu (yes, they’ll have a menu). Hash comes in two varieties: blond and black. The black hash hits harder and most locals smoke the lighter stuff. As far as marijuana goes, the local Nederwiet is the strongest. If you buy a joint from a coffee shop, it will be rolled with tobacco. But even met tabak, it will be
stronger than the Indiana ditch weed you’ve been smoking at home. Any place that calls itself a coffee shop is saying three things: 1) I have pot and hash for you to buy. 2) For the price of a coffee, you may sit here
and smoke your own as well. 3) You may also smoke on my outdoor terrace, even in front of the police. At a dance club or concert, you can bring in joints and smoke them inside in the designated smoking area. If a place calls itself a café, however, you are not allowed to smoke weed. Outdoors, you won’t get arrested no matter where you smoke, although good manners say stick to less busy places and steer clear of old ladies and children.

Smoking Ban?
Here’s another new wrinkle. What does the indoor smoking ban mean for coffee shops?

Humorously enough, the law only applies to tobacco, so smoking pure joints in a coffee shop is technically still allowed inside. If you were to add a bit of tobacco to that joint, however, you would become a criminal endangering the health of the staff. Bigger places have built separate smoking rooms, but smaller places find it tough to comply.

Of course, it will be hard for employees and police to determine what people are putting in their joints, and neither group seems willing to devote energy to that task. So far it’s stoner business as usual and we love
the irony that the only smoking allowed in Holland is marijuana. Viva The Netherlands!















Where To Go
If you are a pot connoisseur, then you may already know the multi cannabis cup winner The Grey Area. The super knowledgeable and friendly staff will help you choose between the numerous and constantly shifting world-class strains of cannabis and hash they have on hand. Having been started by two Americans, they’ll happily sell eighths and dime bags by request. Feel free to borrow a bong (or vaporizer if you’ve got a little girly throat) and sit down at one of the (limited) tables provided and enjoy the eclectic blend of (mostly independent) music that’s always playing. Despite the stellar quality of staff and product, this is not the most spacious place in town, but we bet that after that first toke you won’t notice. We ‘highly’ recommend the
Chocolope, Casey-Jones or Grey Area’s own Grey Haze. Oude Leliestraat 2, Open daily 12-8

Barney’s is made up of three stoner-friendly business clustered together on the Haarlemmer-straat, just a short walk from Centraal Station. All three places have cool décors and a friendly staff. The heart of the operation is the coffee shop which sells award-winning weed starting at 7:30am. Each table has a vaporizer, lest you have to walk all the way over to the bar. Across the street at Barney’s UpTown, you can enjoy your weed while eating delicious food in a tasteful, comfortable restaurant. Highlights are breakfast, burgers and their delectably thick shakes. Best of all, they have a liquor license which allows you to drink and smoke and legally skirt the no beer at a coffee shop problem. Finally if you’re looking for seeds or souvenirs or more drinks, pop into to Barney’s Farm. Now that’s a three way we can get behind! Haarlemmer-straat 105. Open
7:30am to 1am.

Rookies is a friendly coffee shop near the Leidseplein attracts a nice mix of tourists and locals. Bags are made to order, so you can buy the right amount. And this is still one of few places that sell joints with or without tobacco and, conveniently, they come in wonderful plastic coneshaped carrying cases with an
airtight lid.
Outside they’ve got a terrace so you can watch the passing parade. Inside they have an extra large smoking room. If rolling joints is too European for you, borrow a pipe, bong or vaporizer from the bar. They also sell fresh space cakes and fresh squeezed orange juice.
Their two star hotel is right upstairs, which makes the stumble home even easier. Korte Leidse-dwars-straat 145, past Burger King. Open 10am-1am.

La Tertulia True smoking gezelligheid. Owned by a friendly mother and daughter this laid-back place seems more like a neighborhood cafe than a coffee shop. Surrounded by plants and crystals, enjoy a nice smoke from their all organic menu and enjoy one of their inexpensive sandwiches. It’s the perfect place to spend the
afternoon playing board games. Great home-made weed brownies are also available. Prinsengracht 312. Open Tue-Sat 11-7.

















Members Club?
The latest stupid idea about drugs is to restrict marijuana sales to locals who have a members’ pass. The pro business libertarian VVD (i.e. liberals in the European sense) proposed this very big-government idea to keep weed out of the hands of tourists. Again, why exactly? Luckily Amsterdam is still liberal (in the American sense) and it seems hard to envision this coming to pass.

This summer, the national government wisely softened its stance by declaring that this was a matter for local governments. And while some cities near the Belgian border might indeed introduce a local’s only weed pass, Amsterdam will most certainly not follow suit. We’re ready to read retractions from reporters who got the story wrong or talk to any journalist who wants to understand this issue better.

Harder Drugs
Most people in Amsterdam, like most people everywhere, never do hard drugs. Of those that do, the majority practice moderation and balance their recreation with a normal life. How should society treat these people?

In the old days, only a few years ago, cops, clubs and party organizers also tolerated responsible ecstasy and cocaine use. A goal was to protect users from harm associated with (impure) drugs.

In the very good old days of the 90s, you could actually bring up to five ecstasy pills into a club or party. That was the informal line of personal use to divide users (tolerated) and dealers (targeted). Cops photocopied warnings of bad drugs at festivals. “There are tainted ecstasy pills with Mitsubishi logos” read a sign on a toilet door with an official police logo at a rave in 1998. Young people basically trusted the police.

Ten years later the pendulum swung the other way and cops became an enemy to party goers. Plain clothes police lurked in parties, even detaining people smoking joints. On a concert night, you might have found
50 police in the Bijlmer metro station frisking everyone on the way to the Heineken Music Hall detaining those with drugs who chose not to drive under the influence. Nothing was accomplished by their harsher policy since there weren’t any concrete goals or definitions of success. But at least, people like the Christian Union would say, they were doing something.

Today things are back in the middle. Party organizers pretend they have a zero tolerance drug policy, drug doers put their pills and powder in their shoes and bras at security, and the police generally don’t target
users. Maybe that’s the best you can expect these days.

Although drug users aren’t known for their ability to plan ahead, there is a non-profit organization that will check the quality of drugs (pills, coke, LSD), and return them to you. Imagine that, saving lives through good information! Stichting Adviesburo Drugs, Entrepotdok 32A, near the Zoo. Walk in Tue-Fri 2-5, Thur ‘til 7:30
Ecstasy tested while you wait (€2), other drugs go to the lab (€12,50). Call 020 623 7943 for info.

Magic Mushrooms / Truffels
For years, the Amsterdam twist was that our smart shops also sold hallucinogenic mushrooms. Fresh ones were classified as a vegetable and therefore absolutely legal. (Processing them by drying them made them an
illegal drug). Tens of thousands of people used them each year without incident, although about 100 were overwhelmed and had to call an ambulance to be calmed down, or to ride out the trip at a hospital. Serious
incidents, however, were few and far between.

Unfortunately in 2007, a young French tourist on mushrooms (with psychiatric problems in her past and also
drinking that night) jumped off a balcony. Her death sparked a call for more restrictions on mushrooms and in 2008, they were banned. Naturally, no one suggested closing down bars or boarding up balconies.

What most people don’t realize is that smart shops have replaced magic mushrooms with magic truffles, which give the same effect, but are not covered by the ban. Mind altering trips can still legally continue.

For those who want to dabble, Amsterdam is an ideal place. Any respectable smart shop controls the quality of the hallucinogen and the city is a beautiful wonderland to explore while ‘shrooming, (or should we say truffling?).

If you are the type of person who enjoys scaring themselves while high, may we recommend The Amsterdam
Dungeon (Rokin 78). While not that scary when not on drugs, the mix of atmosphere, dark spaces, a mirror maze and live actors can be exciting and terrifying when off your face.

As with mushrooms, truffle moderation is good advice. A trip lasts four to six hours and can be quite intense. If you get a good night sleep afterwards, however, you can expect to be fine the next day.

Start your quest for mind expansion at the Magic Mushroom Gallery (Spui-straat 249), a bright, attractive place with a knowledgeable staff. They sell ten different varieties of fresh truffles to eat or boil in tea. Staff will explain the differences and provide written explanations of the effects to expect. They also sell cool gadgets which get even cooler an hour after eating the truffles.
Also popular are herbal XTC, Libido Power (viagra effects), Viagel (increases lubrication) and Ultimate 69 (improves the mood).

On the wall are a changing collection of artists who create while under the influence of hallucinogens. Owner Rodney Yzer explains that Van Gogh himself drank absinth, the artist’s drug of the day. Van Gogh even painted a still life of a bottle of his favorite “relaxant.”

Tattoos

What is it about Amsterdam and tattoos? Whether you’re the unblemished 18 year old who wants something thin and tribal on her lower back, or the overpierced rocker who wants the big and heavy, there is something about this city that makes you want to get a tattoo.

Get away from the tourists and head for the House of Tattoos. Owner-artist Sjap has been tattooing in Amsterdam for 26 years and, with his five colleagues, will be happy to just talk about possibilities. Their website, www.houseoftattoos.nl, has some of their more interesting work and a reprint of the 100% they got on their Amsterdam hygiene inspection report. Haarlemmer-dijk 130. Mon-Sat 11-6, Sun 13-6 or call 330 9046 for an appointment.

Foul Smells
“Wild pissing” climbed to number one on the Minor Annoyances in Amsterdam list (it’s real). The old favorite
“dog shit” slipped down to number two, no pun intended.

Be part of the solution and head to a green metal public pissoir on the street. Sure they have no running water and smell bad, but where else are you encouraged to pee on a busy avenue, hold a conversation with your friend, and watch the passing parade? Women, who will not be able to get past the smell, will probably not appreciate what they are missing.